#that’ll have been an omen

[inga-don-studio]

And so ...

... it begins. 🎃

[crowleyholmes]

Hello friends, lovers, hereditary enemies, and fellow Good-Omens-brain-rot-afflicted!

Inspired by some lengthy conversations and the need for reassurance regarding a renewal for season 3, the lovely Eena @michaelsheens and I have decided to start a little Project!

(Sorry, Crowley, we had to…)

THE NICE AND ACCURATE PROPHECIES* WEEK

Running from SEPTEMBER 25TH to OCTOBER 1ST, it’s all themed around season 3 and the assumption we’re gonna get that renewal. (Manifesting, baby.)

✨ THE PLAN ✨

Every day will focus on a theme around which everyone who wants to participate is encouraged to create any kind of content they want to! Art, fanfic, edits, playlists, speculation, meta, go nuts!

(Also please don’t worry if something doesn’t fit neatly into a day’s theme; they’re only meant to give somewhat of a prompt and structure. Ultimately it’s not that strict and serious, we just wanna see your stuff :))

✨ HOW TO PARTICIPATE ✨

Share whatever your big heart and massive brain comes up with and use the tag #gomensnaap

(It’s like a long nap or something.)

You’re also welcome to give shoutouts to other people’s work you love and want to celebrate, but please make sure to link and credit properly (!!!)

Most importantly: have fun <3

✨ THEMES ✨

(under the cut)

DAY 1: “And there will be great lamentations.”

Let’s talk the Second Coming! We start off and warm up with everything plot-related. Theories, meta, crack ideas, let’s hear your thoughts on where you think the Big Main Plot is going to go!

DAY 2: “I can make a difference!”

For day two, let’s focus on Aziraphale’s arc in season 3. Did he go to Heaven with a plan? Or is he winging it? (Pun only somewhat intended.) Was he threatened or manipulated or both or neither? Will he tell Heaven just where they can stick it or can he actually succeed? What’s in store for our favorite angel?

DAY 3: “Hated by Heaven, loathed by Hell. How will our hero cope?”

Day three is all about Crowley and what we think he’s going to get up to. Is he going to go drink himself senseless and have a good cry? Go snek and hybernate for a bit? Hang out with Muriel and do some tempting? Does he have a plan and how will he cope being on his own?

DAY 4: “There was magic abroad in the air…”

Let’s talk Ineffable Husbands! How are Crowley and Aziraphale going to resolve things between them? Will there be a massive fight? Radio silence for days/weeks/months/years? Will they learn to Actually COmmunicate? Will there be grudges, grand gestures, secret meetings, a big rescue mission from either side?

DAY 5: “Extreme sanctions.”

On day six we wanna make ourselves anxious, sad and upset. (As one does.) What thing that may or may not happen in season 3 are you most worried about? Dark/depressed/evil/etc Crowley? Memory-wiped/brain-washed/archangel Aziraphale? Book of Life? How could Neil & Co hurt us the most?

DAY 6: “Do you…want a hot chocolate?”

After day 5’s spiral, it’s time for a metaphorical treat. What are you most looking forward to in season 3? What do you really want to see? Headcanons coming true? Scenes you wish for? Things that’ll make you wanna name your cat/dog/fish/insert other pet here Neil Richard Gaiman or Sir Terence David John Pratchett?

DAY 7: “It’s starts, as it will end, with a garden.”

Finally, to finish it all up, let’s speculate about the end of season 3. How do you think we’ll leave this story? Will things just go back to how they’ve always been? Will there be peace? Earth hidden from Heaven and Hell with a big 500 Lazarii miracle? Aziraphale and Crowley turned human? Or will they get their cottage in the South Downs for the rest of eternity?

[doodleswithangie]

VOL 1: Loving You Brings Only Heartaches by @seven-stars-in-his-palm

It's been 62 years since Aziraphale and Crowley's disagreement in St James' Park, and the world has entered a new era of flapper girls and arbitrary Prohibitions. After attempting to finally get in contact with the angel again, Crowley finds out Aziraphale has been accused of murdering Mr Howard, Soho staple and owner of the Harmony Emporium a few doors down...in his very own bookshop. It's up to Aziraphale and Crowley to solve this mystery, or else they might be next.

For this year’s GOMM Reverse Bang run by @go-minisode-minibang! I had the pleasure of working with two amazing writers, so presenting the first of two! August wrote an incredible high stakes mystery that’ll keep you guessing until the end. Read it here!

[Image Description: Mock book cover and page for a “Good Omens” fanfiction set in the 1920s. Alt text is provided and copied below the cut. End ID]

Copied Alt Text

Image One:

Book cover featuring female-presenting Aziraphale and Crowley in 1920s fashion. Aziraphale peers through a magnifying glass, wearing a yellow and white blazer and skirt set trimmed in plaid and matching brown hat, gloves, and bow tie. Behind her, Crowley wears a white embroidered frock and sunhat with a black velvet overskirt and faux fur-lined cape.

The cover text reads: “A.Z. FELL AND Co. Loving You Brings Only Heartaches. Written by Gravitron. Illustrated by Doodles With Angie.”

Image two:

Book page with illustration and text. Both male-presenting, a wild-eyed Aziraphale is drenched in blood and wields a knife, while Crowley frantically interrogates him.

The excerpt reads:

“Why?” is what spills out of Crowley’s mouth before all else, having to shout it to be heard over the roar of the chaos. “I don’t—it’s only been sixty years, sixty years, and you’ve already—how—?”

“My own shop!”

Crowley blanches. “Eh?!”

Aziraphale’s eyes are blown open in terror, the shoulder under Crowley’s hand shaking like mad. He attempts to shove past the demon, but he remains firm in putting himself between the two. “They had–had to kill him in my own shop! Now everyone is—goodness, they must already think—” He drops the blade in his fist in horror, the imprint of blood deep under his well-manicured nails. “Never would I—oh, it doesn’t even matter, this is going to be terribly inconvenient…”

End Copied Alt Text

[edenmemes]

house of the dragon s2 starters

❝ there is a chill in the air. summer is well and truly through. ❞ ❝ it’s alright. there’s no reason to be nervous. ❞ ❝ i’ve little patience for the self-important, and even less for flatterers. ❞ ❝ you think me some kind of monster. ❞ ❝ it is my fault, i think, that you have forgotten to fear me. ❞ ❝ do you think simply wearing the crown imbues you with wisdom? ❞ ❝ i have been, at times, unkind but never untrue. ❞ ❝ mark my words, this is a black omen. ❞ ❝ it is your way, is it not? when something does not please you, you run. ❞ ❝ if i may seem so bold…you have not seemed yourself of late. ❞ ❝ i have come to see if we may uncover some path towards peace. ❞ ❝ i do not know if i trust you. and i sense there is danger in you yet. ❞ ❝ i wonder, do you have a moment for a quiet word? ❞ ❝ now i have seen your heart only belongs to you. ❞ ❝ it was worth the risk, no matter the outcome. ❞ ❝ some of us must serve in smaller ways…even if they are not what we would choose for ourselves. ❞ ❝ fuck dignity. i want revenge. ❞ ❝ you are not the player, but a piece on the board. ❞ ❝ is there no honor left in this world? ❞ ❝ stop wasting your life waiting for something that’ll never come. ❞ ❝ perhaps those who strive for the crown are the least suited to wear it. ❞ ❝ i find myself wondering…do we pursue the same end? ❞ ❝ and how would you define ‘victory’? ❞ ❝ once you get to know me, you’ll find i’m not so bad. ❞ ❝ thought you’d be happy. or at least less morose. ❞ ❝ i can sit still no longer. i must act. ❞ ❝ you struggle to see there’s an anger that blinds you. ❞ ❝ you must accept the path to victory now is one of violence. ❞ ❝ you only blame me because your true enemies are out of reach. ❞ ❝ there are many pieces at play here…some of which you can’t yet see. ❞ ❝ you will have all the vengeance you seek, but you must keep a grip on your impulses. ❞ ❝ which would you prefer? to be loved or feared? ❞ ❝ i don’t know what to think of you. i don’t know what you are, or who it is you serve. ❞ ❝ well, the gods favor the bold. ❞ ❝ you’ve thrown it away. after all i’ve done for you. ❞ ❝ what if the hand that’s done it is not to be blamed? ❞ ❝ the desire to kill and burn takes hold and reason is forgotten. ❞ ❝ the gods punish us. they punish me. ❞ ❝ the path i walk has never been trod. ❞ ❝ well…no use wondering what might have been. ❞ ❝ tales take on a life of their own…like weeds. ❞ ❝ this is not the time for blind accusations. ❞ ❝ hm, you wish to be rewarded. ❞ ❝ they will underestimate you. and this will be your advantage. ❞ ❝ i hope you do not confuse mercy with pliancy. ❞ ❝ there is no war so hateful to the gods as a war between kin. ❞ ❝ i’ve never trusted you, wholly…much though i wished to, willed myself to. ❞ ❝ you can’t possibly still be angry about this. ❞ ❝ boldness is one thing, but overconfidence… ❞ ❝ this world is cold and cruel, and there are few in it who are steadfast. you, i think, are steadfast. ❞ ❝ do not coddle me. grant me at least that dignity. ❞ ❝ history will paint you a villain. ❞ ❝ do you cling, even now, to what you think you lost? ❞ ❝ a sense of humor would do you good. ❞ ❝ if the gods call me to greater things, who am i to refuse them? ❞ ❝ you have done something i feared impossible. ❞ ❝ i’m not entirely sure we can declare this a victory. ❞ ❝ you should’ve been at my side. ❞ ❝ i see all your great adventures have done nothing for your looks. ❞ ❝ a jest. one you may regret as you’re supping alone tonight. ❞ ❝ soon they will not even remember what it was that began the war in the first place. ❞ ❝ i don’t need their love. i need their swords. ❞ ❝ perhaps all men are corrupt…and true honor is a mist that melts in the morning. ❞ ❝ let us put all the old unpleasantness behind us. ❞ ❝ are you perhaps the culprit who has been tampering with my peace? ❞ ❝ every man has a weakness. ❞ ❝ everything i’ve given you, you’ve thrown back in my face. ❞ ❝ oh, take heart. you’ve already written yourself into legend. ❞ ❝ you wish to wash your hands of what you yourself set in motion. ❞

❝ war is coming to the whole of the realm. ❞ ❝ you are a strange kind of woman. ❞ ❝ there are those that have mistaken my caution for weakness. let that be their undoing. ❞ ❝ i think you used my words as an excuse to take your own revenge…to indulge the darkness you keep sheathed within you like a blade. ❞ ❝ i came here to raise swords, not corpses. ❞ ❝ i cannot blame anyone for doing what i myself would do if i could. ❞ ❝ we cannot all hide in our castles waiting for war to come to us. ❞ ❝ call it what you will…i call it war. ❞ ❝ have the indignities of your childhood not yet sufficiently been avenged? ❞ ❝ you mustn’t be shaken from this. ❞ ❝ is this an order or a request? ❞ ❝ and they will pay for this. ❞ ❝ i will not be thought weak. ❞ ❝ i mistrust this silence. ❞ ❝ oh, you make an art of provoking me. ❞

[jophiel-extras]

Hello! Azi simp here, requesting NSFW alphabet for him. I’ve done one of my own but I love seeing other people’s takes.

summary :: Aziraphale nsfw alphabet

warning :: nsfw

note :: waking up to Good Omens requests are so sweet

A = Aftercare

Aziraphale takes aftercare very seriously. He does the whole lot, cleaning the sheets, running the shower for you, making a hot cup of tea and then gently laying you down with him for a nap. Most times, he’ll read to you whilst you’re loosely cuddled up to him, soothing you to sleep.

B = Body part

Aziraphale finds his eyes to be most useful. Best part of you is everything and without his eyes, he wouldn’t be able to see you. He doesn’t favour any particular body parts on you, though he does enjoy plumper areas like thighs, tummy or boobs.

C = Cum

Inside is where Aziraphale finds the most pleasure. Pulling out and cumming on you so too “pornographic,” for him. To release himself inside of you is too beautiful to miss out on anyway.

D = Dirty secret

Aziraphale loves to be flustered. Of course, if you do something he deems inappropriate, Aziraphale will blush and quietly reprimand you. Deep down though, he loves it. Loves the thrill of hearing you whisper the dirtiest things in his ear, or to feel you slide your hand up his thigh whilst dining out. The moments when you’re outwardly sexual to him, in very non-sexual situation, is absolutely addictive.

E = Experience

Very little if at all, Aziraphale would have some interesting ideology when it comes to angels and sex that would’ve stunted his sexual encounters greatly.

F = Favorite position

Missionary! So close, so loving. It’s perfect. Though, he’s certainly interested in The Amazon position. Generally, he just likes you on top.

G = Goofy

Not quite. Sex is serious for Aziraphale. The only time things might get a little silly is when he’s nervous and blurts things out.

H = Hair

Very well groomed! And the carpets do match the drapes.

I = Intimacy

Incredibly slow and intimate. Aziraphale makes love when he has sex, to him there’s no other way to do it.

J = Jack off

Shamefully, he does. Not often, maybe once a week if he’s particularly horny. The post-nut clarity on Aziraphale is horrible, always embarrassed for touching himself and even more so for thinking about you whilst doing it.

K = Kink

As established Aziraphale enjoys dirty talk, he might not return the words but hearing them gets him dripping with precum. He also doesn’t mind soaking, just laying with you, deep inside as you spoon no thrusting or movements. He’s also just a big fan of having a dominant partner.

L = Location

His bedroom inside the bookshop. Sex will basically never happen anywhere else.

M = Motivation

Sex doesn’t usually cross Aziraphale’s mind unless you put the idea in his head. It’s your flirting, naughty touches and words that’ll get him hard.

N = No

We all know Aziraphale is quite vanilla, so nothing too “kinky,”

O = Oral

Most will say Aziraphale loves to give oral, and he does, but boy does he love to receive. The sight of you licking and sucking at him is mind blowing. Words cannot describe how much he loves it. The mere idea of it gets his body hot.

P = Pace

Slow and sensual.

Q = Quickie

Not even on his radar. Quickies are just such a  foreign concept to him, who would want to rush sex? He thinks quick sex is bizarre.

R = Risk

He loves it when you take risks. Especially public ones.

S = Stamina

Usually one round is all, but it’s long and both of you are very satisfied afterwards.

T = Toys

Not at all. Aziraphale becomes nervous at the mention of sex toys.

U = Unfair

Aziraphale isn’t one to tease, but loves to be teased himself.

V = Volume

He’s quite verbal. He doesn’t grunt or groan but he moans and whimpers. Softly, mainly, but Aziraphale has been known to be a little loud.

W = Wild card

Working up to penetrative sex was a process for Aziraphale. He couldn’t help but feel guilty after sexual acts and the fact that he enjoyed them. It started with feverish making out, which then lead to body part kisses, to a little grinding, gentle touching, slight undressing, oral and then finally sex. It took a while but it was worth it for Aziraphale’s comfort.

X = X-ray

Thicker than average and probably about six inches.

Y = Yearning

Doesn’t really have a sex drive, but he doesn’t get horny from time to time. It’s usually whenever you’re in the mood.

Z = Zzz

Sex doesn’t tire him, but it makes him soft. He likes to bask in the loving aftermath of sex before sleeping.

[aziraphales-library]

I read a Fic I really enjoyed that was for Good Omens where it was human au, enemies to lovers, both were at Anathema’s wedding. The wedding was outside and I remember that Crowley was playing with the kids at the wedding. Spinning them around, playing pirate with them. It was several chapters long. It was along the same lines as “or be nice” by charlottemadison. But that wedding was inside. (I may have a type) if you know of any along these lines. Please let me know. I shall happily dive into them.

Not sure on the exact fic, but here are some getting together at weddings fics...

Two Weddings by Lexitennant2 (T)

Aziraphale and Crowley are invited to Anathema and Newton's wedding. Which means a minor breakdown from Crowley in front of his plants, a meddling witch, and Aziraphale is finally talked into some sense so he finally decides that Crowley is NOT going too fast for him.

The Nice and Accurate wedding of Anathema Device, Witch, which went just as expected by Nenchen (G)

Wedding planner Anathema Device is the Number One. She can organize anything for a wedding, flower arrangements, catering, a marching band or an emu. The name Device is a guarantee for a picture perfect wedding - and the perfect pictures will be taken by her top wedding photographer, and best friend, Anthony J. Crowley. Both of them see weddings mostly as business, until Anathema meets Newt, Love of her life, walking natural disaster extraordinaire, and very much not a person it’s possible to have a perfect wedding with. Which is perfect since Anathema frankly never wanted one for herself. She just wants a fun party, good food, and all of her friends to attend - including Crowley. For whom this might just as well be the apocalypse because no, he is not allowed to work on her wedding. Strictly invited only as a guest, Crowley finds himself at a loss. What the hell do you do at weddings? Well, if you are Crowley, the answer is some James Bond-like action, some worrying about fly swarms and their sources, having a lot of emotions, drinking some very funny wine, putting your foot in your mouth and just maybe meeting someone to share all of that with. Oh, and there’s always cake, isn’t there?

It's Not The Journey by cosmya (T)

It had been going so well. They’d averted the apocalypse, averted their punishments, averted further investigation or attention by their respective organizations. They were left with little to do but bask in the happy ending. Therein had been the problem. Another champagne, sir?” interrupted the flight attendant. Aziraphale’s eyes snapped open. Oh, I shouldn’t, he thought. “Yes, please,” he said. “Thank you.” Anathema and Newt are getting married, and two of their wedding guests are in a bit of an awkward place. An all-inclusive resort with unlimited alcohol is precisely what they need to re-break the ice.

The Christmas Wedding Scammer by Aracloptia (T)

“And - thank you for saying yes on such short notice! I tried to plan the thing myself, but … sometimes you actually do need help, right?” “Yeah”, Crowley mumbled, grabbing his phone to write down the name of the restaurant. “Yeah, absolutely.” “That’s what everyone kept telling me; it’s always better with a wedding planner. I guess I should have listened earlier.” “Er”, Crowley said. “Did you say-“ “Anyway, I have another call to make! I have to fire the costumer, the dress we agreed on turned out horrendous. Hey, in the future that’ll be your job! But I’ll do it just this once. See you tomorrow! And please bring suggestions for the bridal wear. Bye!” “Hold o-” The famous wedding planner Antonio Cowley is retired, sworn to never plan a wedding again. Perhaps the right sum of money can persuade him? He is not to be mixed up with out-of-business Anthony J. Crowley, former florist, currently unemployed. OR: In which Crowley accidentally becomes a wedding planner.

District of (un-)Certainty by jamgrl (M)

Aziraphale is a PhD student who needs a roommate so he can continue to afford his house in the U.S. capital of Washington D.C. Luckily, the family he tutors for on the side just happened to find him one! He doesn’t think he will like him much since he is in the states to work on Mr. Dowling’s senate campaign, so he’s probably a terrible person (even if he is good looking). Crowley is pretty independent and doesn’t really have a lot of what you would call “friends”. But he doesn’t mind his new roommate. He would much rather hang out with him than his coworkers, anyways. His roommate’s best friends Anathema and Newt aren’t too bad, either. It’s nice to have some friends. Maybe he likes it in D.C. --- They are millenials! But still British and still old fashioned- just a little twist on our favorite husbands.

Something That Happens To Other People by Caedmon (E)

Anthony J. Crowley is a hotshot political reporter who's landed himself in hot water with his editor. He finds himself demoted to the society desk, where he is assigned to cover the wedding of Anathema Device and Newton Pulsifer. He'd rather chew tin foil than lower himself in such a way, but if he's going to claw his way back to the top, he's going to have to prove himself. Aziraphale Fell is the most sought-after wedding planner in all of London, hailed as the 'angel of love' due to his knack for picking couples who have the most successful marriages. He spends his working hours making other peoples' dreams come true... but his own dreams of romance died long ago. To his mind, love is something that happens to other people. Sparks fly when these two cross paths, and they find themselves instantly attracted to one another. But can Crowley prove Aziraphale’s belief about love to be wrong?

- Mod D

[gaiaseyes451]

Of Kings and Kids - Chapter 3!

Excited to announce that Chapter 3 of @vavoom-sorted-art and my Good Omens Christmas collaboration is now live on AO3! Thanks for all the follows, subscriptions, comments and kudos on the first two chapters! Happy Holidays!

An Excerpt from Chapter 3 - Continue Reading on AO3:

Clear as a trumpet across the countryside, the piercing cry of a newborn baby rang through the night. 

Crowley smiled, “that’ll be your newborn King, I expect.”

Aziraphale closed his eyes and exhaled, “yes, I suspect you're correct.”

“I should be going, have a feeling your work is just beginning.” Crowley squeezed Aziraphale’s hand once more and, carefully dislodging Jemimah, stood to begin his way down the hill. 

Aziraphale watched him go. “Good night, Crowley,” he called down the hillside.

Crowley stopped and looked over his shoulder, Aziraphale could hear the smile in his voice even though he could not see it. “See you tomorrow, angel.” He said, then replaced his glasses and began the walk back to Jerusalem.

Aziraphale was sitting on the boulder watching the flock at rest when a blinding light appeared a few meters in front of him. He shielded his eyes from the radiance as a glowing figure emerged, arms lifted upwards in exultation. 

“I say unto you,” boomed a voice from the light. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find the baby wrapped in a linen blanket in room seven of the Starlit Stays Lodge.”

Aziraphale bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. When he was quite sure he had mastered his face he responded as neutrally as possible. “Hello, Gabriel.”

*~*~*

A special thanks to @goodomensafterdark for supporting this collaboration and a warm thanks to @sohoscribblers!

[tylered-up-in-blue]

Response to “The Magic Trick You Didn’t See” / The Coffee Theory

I, like many people in the Good Omens fandom, have already read the big essay “The Magic Trick You Didn’t see” –which blows up the coffee theory that’s been circulating on my twitter page to greater heights and big claims. I have some thoughts.

First of all: I think that the original essay has a few details wrong, essentially because it falls into a kind of utilitarian perspective with the whole magic show metaphor. The thing is –sometimes details which are left hanging, or themes which are shown to be important, don’t always tie up somewhere. Sometimes they’re there because they’re interesting, or poking at intrigue –trying to get you to notice and note down for later, rather than evidence of one ultimate solution that’ll be revealed as a holistic great plot. Also “I didn’t think the writing was good in this moment” isn’t very convincing to me, I’m sorry.

But –I do think that they were onto something. I hesitate to make any grand claims, like “Maggie isn’t real,” or “The Metatron is editing the book of life,” because -to be honest- I don’t trust myself to put my name to something as big as that, and I don’t want to erase my favourite thing about Good Omens: its whimsicality. But I will say that there are themes and notable elements which I think will be important later and hint at some larger fuckery (if you’ll excuse the OFMD reference) going on, so consider this a kind of rejigging of the theory to be a more thematic approach that lays out things I just thought were interesting under an more open-ended (or flip-floppy, depending on how you take it) idea:

Something was going on this season which will be revealed as a Heavenly plot to split Aziraphale and Crowley up by the end. It worked. And the person to reveal the greater plot will be Muriel.

I’ll write down first of all a list of things that have been introduced to the world of Good Omens which I think are important, and highlight why one of them sticks out to me. Then I’ll work on a thematic basis of what things are shown to be worth narrative focus/presuppose S3. The first two themes are very much commentary drawing on the essay I’m responding to, and the second two are more my own ideas –certainly the fourth.

Okay, so: there are introductions to the Good Omens-verse which are clearly there to expand our world for later use. I don’t know if all of these things will come up again, but by the end of this season we know:

There are Nazi (and possibly more) zombies running around London.

There is a gun in Aziraphale’s bookshop -in case it’s needed. 

Heaven is interested in keeping things quiet, and they will fiddle with memories to do so. Erased memories can be “stored” in things/creatures.

There is a thing called “The Book of Life” that if you’re written out of, you NEVER EXISTED. (It can be edited, too, presumably.)

Crowley is possibly the most powerful being in the show. “Half a tiny miracle” ends up being enough to resurrect someone 25 times over, and his attempt to stay calm after a little tiff with aziraphale results in draining the street of electricity. Also he created the entire universe. (coming back to amend this with the fact Neil said he got going just "that tiny corner of space" -but I still feel there is significant evidence to say he is very powerful:) )

I lay these out because they’re just good to have noted down, really, and because they’re definitely GOING to be important. ALSO because the last one makes sense for the greater aim to be breaking up the ineffable husbands. Emphasis on Crowley’s power –and for their shared power– sets up a REAL threat for what we KNOW will be the basis of s2: The Second Coming. If you’re Heaven, and you want the second attempt at an apocalypse to be successful, you’d be stupid to let the two celestial beings who were meddling in the whole averted-apocalypse ordeal last time to just be AROUND for it. Especially when one has the ability to stop time!!! You’ve GOT to break them up. 

Theme 1: Investigation (Muriel!)

Investigation is a fun little theme in s2: Aziraphale goes full detective mode. He loves the clues, he’s in his little trilby investigating. All the marketing was very investigative and invites the audience to pay close attention. And there are SO many little easter eggs. From The Colour of Magic appearing to Gabriel reading the first lines of Good Omens –even as small as a Terry Prattchet impersonator speaking over the tannoy in Hell, or the film in The Resurrectionist being chosen specifically to play because there’s a scene where Jimmy Stewart talks to a fly. 

So! Investigation is fun! It’s important. And my favourite part of the essay I’m responding to is definitely that about Muriel. I think that all this build up to the detective-vibe is going to cumulate in their s3 role. Essentially: I entirely agree that they are coded as the one to blow open this whole case in S3. The police costume and giving them The Crow Road are certainly suggestive–but more than anything, leaving them in charge of the bookshop (full of Aziraphale’s diaries and books and everything) props them up perfectly to earn the promo they got for s2. Because I’m not sure about you, but my mutuals and I were shocked that the NYCC scene (“hello hello hello, I’m a human police officer!”) didn’t happen until episode three. From the way the promo was going (character profiles, trailer etc.) I thought Muriel would be in s2 WAY more.

They also make a HUGE point of how Muriel is considered “nobody.” They say it themselves, they’re called “the dull one” by Metatron.

They set them up perfectly to solve this later.

Theme 2: Memories and Stories:

Memory! Another theme! –memory that can be tampered with, contained, erased and returned.

Heaven is willing to meddle with and erase memories if necessary. They are, then, SUBTLE.

There is no God narrator.

There is a statue immortalising a very real Gabriel (somehow/for some reason –Gabriel was also involved in its making?) 

My favourite part of season 2 was definitely the minisodes. The costumes, the settings –I was so surprised to find the horses and carts in ep 3 were CGI in the X-Ray! They look so good! I loved how every single flashback was incredibly vital and interesting to expand on Aziraphale and Crowley’s relationship –that convo on the rock in ep 2? WOW. Stunned. Anyway, not to go on.

I completely disagree with the conviction that these were edited. I think that, to the contrary, these memories are (IF there’s something going on with temptation/persuasion (more on that later) and The Book of Life) are ENTIRELY real. And the reason for that is highlighted in the very essay: each memory is tied to a physical record of it happening. The Book of Job; the Polaroid in ‘41, and Aziraphale’s diaries. This is not to say that there aren’t still gaps: where was the “I’m sorry” dance of ‘41? If Aziraphale wasn’t drinking in 2500 BC then when did he start? Just little things like this.

This is the thing: stories, words, are vital. The challenge that they gave the guy who did Sherlock (I can’t remember his name I’m sorry!) –it’s talked about in the X-Ray– was to have words pop out in 4 different ways across S2. This a fun stylistic choice, but it also gives words narrative attention, so ties in with all this. Without God to narrate, narratives and accounts are left to the characters within the world. It’s fun and important both. So is the spelling stuff. Maggie can’t spell, neither can the demons. (She may be a demon herself –I’m not entirely convinced it’s this simple, tbh, but Aziraphale’s miracle not working on her in ep5 is definitely a red flag.) Anyway – it’s also interesting.

With all this, my idea that Heaven/Metatron had been planning the aziracrow divorce from the beginning might mean they’re tampering with The Book of Life –it also could mean that they’re ABOUT to do something weird with Aziraphale’s memories, or all these pieces are going to become very very helpful for Muriel’s investigation.

I really do wonder what this role of records, memories and narratives will come to, but I have a feeling it’ll bleed into s3.

Theme 3: Food

Crowley was the reason Aziraphale tried food in the first place. I just wanted to put that down because of course he was, but also it is deeply INSANE that he INTRODUCED AZIRAPHALE TO THE CONCEPT OF EATING. God, David was right. They really don't exist without each other.

This is kind of the point I make with food here: it’s a HUGE theme in s2, largely just to emphasise the fact that it’s powerful.

For some reason (jokey or otherwise) eccles cakes can “calm you down.”

Aziraphale becomes significantly bonded to Crowley by eating the Ox in ep2. Later, Crowley is “as strong as an Ox." –fun little echo.)

They drink the same wine as always in ‘41 –they share no wine in s2, just the sherry and whiskey respectively. They also don’t share a meal, which seems interesting. I personally think that it’s to do with consumption being a metaphor for queer desire, and the absence of it being a sign of C/A being on “their own side” in s2. Crowley abandons temptation as Aziraphale abandons attempts to “save” Crowley. –-Or it may mean something else!

Crowley drinks laudanum and it makes him go lala. It ALSO makes him turn tiny, then giant, and he does something kind –kind enough to get him dragged off to hell and tortured so badly that he’s asking for holy water as “insurance” 40 years later.

That fucking oatmilk almond coffee. Okay. So if food is powerful, this has weight. From the colour of it being weird against the background to the fact (to quote my dear friend Jey) “nobody fucking drinks almond syrup!!” –I’m sure you’ve see all this going around. Almonds are obviously very poison-coded, and considering the above point I smell something strange. (I don’t believe it was quite a case of drugging per say, but more metaphor: Aziraphale is being tempted. He’s being manipulated, and drawn back into the culty office world of heaven.)

So what we know here is that food is powerful. An important metaphor and force (especially for aziracrow.)

Theme 4: Resurrection

OKAY: so, this is the most original of my listing in these themes. I am so interested in this resurrection thing they’ve got going.

The Resurrectionist pub: where Gabriel and Beez come to their plan. We see that The Dirty Donkey is a lift to heaven (which NOT enough people are talking about) –so what about The Resurrectionist? What power does it hold as a space? Why is the legacy of Mr Dalrymple important?

Why did (wee) Morag’s eyes glow briefly? Is she a zombie now?

Zombies exist. We know this. They’re also tied to the concept of consumption, which is cool.

Heaven measures miracles by Lazarii.

Gabriel, in one of his flashes of prophecy, says: “there will come a tempest (...) the dead will rise from their graves and wander the earth once more.”

These are all cool. Thematically, it seems that being raised from the dead is going to be something big. I’m interested in this, considering that after Gabriel said the above mentioned prophecy my good friend Jey said “hold on, is this going to be about The Rapture?”

Now: we know that “668: Neighbour of the Beast” was supposed to be set in America. Whether it actually is or not, I don’t know, but I think that if it is about a second coming on American soil, The Rapture feels VERY pertinent. The dead are the first to rise and be with God in The Rapture, but all believers join them: and they join them permanently. In some versions, there is a period in which Christ rules the earth. All very fun and interesting prospects for s3!

Where this leaves us:

S2 is the “bridge” between 1 and 3, in Neil’s words. It’s the “romantic filling” of the sandwich.

I would argue that some seriously tough bread started with “oh Crowley, nothing lasts forever,” but hey ho, that’s the very ending of the season. I just want to talk about coded language/draw on what I’ve just said to talk about how we’re set up for the structures of s3:

Heaven is a CULT. A serious cult. From the (temptation) manipulation of the coffee, to the man at the pub calling Gabriel a “mason” –which I’m assuming he means freemason– to the frankly INSANE smile on Michael Sheen’s face as the credits roll (also sickening lighting there)– they are a big threatening cult, and that is going to be important. I think it’ll just get increasingly so.

FurFur and Shax have it OUT for the ineffable husbands. Like they are NOT fans. And they seem to also be buddies now so… not great news.

In The Scene </3 Crowley stops himself short of saying he’d like to spend eternity with Aziraphale, and instead asks him to “go off together,” just like s1 –I think their language is going to develop hugely in s3. It’ll go back to being the space they “carved out for themselves,” only further.

And finally: a bet. The last time we see Crowley, he’s in a car full of plants because he’s carrying “their side” away with him. I am willing to bet –not that this is a hottake or anything– that it’ll end, as it began: in a garden. S3 will end in the garden of their South Downs Cottage !!!

[charlie-bradcherry]

If you’re one of the lucky people who gets to see the first few episodes of Good Omens, please accept the premium role of keeping us other fans excited.

Don’t spoil anything, but for the love of God, don’t you dare hesitate to post anything that’ll keep me on the edge of my seat, make me swing my feet back and forth like a little kid, make me want to see the second season of the show even more than I previously did. Tell me how it’s kind of bittersweet that it’s already over but that it was super amazing and you were so happy to have been able to see it.

Tease me to death pls aaaaaaaaahhhhh I wanna hear how excited you were and how you’re excited for us all to see it too!!!

[galaxyspeaking]

first of all I LOVE YOUR ART, came here bc of the zosan and then saw all your incredible good omens art too like holy f??? 💘💞🩷💖

might i ask if you ever record your process or would do a tutorial (in pictures or vid) bc i absolutely adore your work 🥹

and lastly: do you have any zosan headcanons (esp the opla version)?

sending all the love & admiration 💞

Thank you so much 🥹🥰🥰!!!

I’m gonna be honest, when I draw I always forget to turn on canvas recording and then I remember afterwards and feel frustrated because ig & tiktok both thrive on video content 😭😭

So no tutorial for now but who knows maybe that’ll happen!!

As far as process goes, I start by researching poses (find refs on pinterest, take picture of myself, and when I’m in serious doubt I build the pose in clip studio pro with their 3d models!) so I have a solid base to start.

Then I think about composition (for the good omens and zosan ones I’m using film ratios so that makes it easier)

I don’t know that I can describe my color process in 2 lines but I just build a palette in my head with like, 3-4 local colors and largely stick to it?? I’m so sorry I wish this was more helpful!!

As for zosan what’s funny to me is that the pairing’s been there for years but the slight tweaks they did in the live action made my head spin bc where does Sanji get off being so smooth?? Zoro just endlessly antagonizes him and Sanji is just smiling the whole time???? Okay girl???

Oh they’re sick freaks and I just want 2400606 scenes of them pulling on each other’s pigtails (constructing intricate rituals etc etc)

They drive me INSANE

[edosianorchids901]

Long Term Investments

For @book-omens-week Day 1! Prompt: character design

Crawly bent over the puddle, getting a better look at himself. Not bad. Not bad enough, honestly. But what should he change?

Someone stepped in the edge of the puddle, ripples distorting his reflection, and he hissed in annoyance. “Hey, come on. I was using that.”

“You were using a puddle?” a familiar but slightly mumbling voice asked. “For what?”

Crawly looked up into a familiar face, too. The other man-shaped being didn’t actually seem to have recognized him, although that may have been because Aziraphale was distracted by popping one berry after another into his mouth. “It’s me.”

“Who?” Aziraphale asked politely, as if there was anyone on Earth right now other than them and two humans, with a third human on the way. Then his eyes widened a little. “Oh! Hello, Crawly. Making some changes?”

“What makes you say that?” Crawly asked sarcastically.

Aziraphale pursed his lips and gestured to him, as if mildly annoyed that he had to ask. “Well, for one thing, you have legs now.”

“Good observation.” Still not completely used to them, even though he’d had them for days now, Crawly shifted his weight. His feet squelched in the mud, and he made a face. “Rainy again today, eh?”

“Well, not much actual rain currently. There was a fair bit earlier, though.” Aziraphale popped another berry in his mouth.

“Yeah. Anyway, I’m doing…” Crawly frowned, studying himself in the once again calm puddle. “Character design, I guess you could call it. Playing with this human shape. I can’t very well slither around forever, can I?”

“Well, the snakes seem to do really quite well at slithering around.”

“Well, yeah, but I don’t think the whole serpent gig is gonna cut it with the humans again.” Crawly gestured vaguely in the direction of the spot near the river where the humans had set up camp for now. “They’d probably stomp on me or something if I just snaked into their camp and started talking them into sinning again. Or trying to talk ‘em into it, anyway.”

“I suppose it would be difficult to talk anyone into anything if you were being ‘stomped’,” Aziraphale said in a somewhat baffled tone.

“Right?”

“But why would you want to talk them into sinning again in the first place?”

Crawly shrugged. “It’s my job.”

“Ah. I suppose it is.” Aziraphale stood there awkwardly for a bit, eating berries while Crawly stared into the puddle. Then he gave a quiet huff. “I don’t know what you’re obsessing about. You look quite human. Well, aside from the eyes.”

“I mean, yeah, but I need to look a little more demonic.” Crawly glanced up, taking in his opposing number’s overall soft edges and lighter colors. “Darker hair, that’ll do it.”

He wiggled his fingers in a complicated gesture, then nodded in approval at his adjusted appearance. That was more like it, much more properly demonic, and a good contrast to the enemy still eating berries next to him.

“That looks nice,” Aziraphale said.

“It looks imposing and demonic, hopefully.” Crawly grinned at the angel. “Mind, I won’t really have a chance to do much on the job front for a while, not many humans to tempt. But it’s better to be prepared. Long term investments and all that.”

Aziraphale gave him a slightly startled look, as if the idea of being prepared had never occurred to him. It kind of made sense, given that he still seemed pretty invested in Heaven’s propaganda about ineffability and all that.

But then again, he had given away his flaming sword on what seemed to be a complete whim. So maybe his lack of planning ahead was more to do with impulsivity rather than because he was waiting for Heaven to tell him what to do. Or both.

Either way, he was interesting, unlike most of Earth right now. Crawly suspected that looking at plants and animals while waiting years for the humans to populate the area could get pretty boring pretty fast.

While Crawly was still contemplating that, Aziraphale ate the last of the berries. He raised his hand to his mouth anyway, then frowned down at it disapprovingly. “Oh. I’ve eaten all my berries.”

Crawly gnawed on his lip for a minute, conflicted, and then decided to dive in. This might turn out to be a good long term investment, too. “Let’s go look for more together.”

Taken aback, Aziraphale stared at him for a moment. “Why?”

“Do you see anything interesting to do? Anyone else to talk to?” Crawly waved a hand vaguely at the new world around them, which distinctly lacked good options for mental stimulation. And Crawly had never been very good at boredom. “It’s just us, eh? Makes sense for us to hang out.”

Aziraphale looked around thoughtfully. “Well, there are the humans. But they’re a bit busy right now. I’m not supposed to talk to them until they get settled in.”

“Exactly. So.” Crawly flashed a triumphant grin. “Berries it is.”

That seemed to do it. Aziraphale smiled a little and headed back towards the berry bushes, and Crawly fell in step beside him. They chatted as they sloshed through the mud, immediately getting into a fascinating debate about the morality of eating all the berries in the area, and Crawly allowed himself a moment of self-satisfaction. Yep. Spending time with Aziraphale would definitely turn out to be a good long term investment.

[rhosmeinir]

Fictober 2023 #17

Prompt #17 - "I never said it was going to be easy."

Fanfiction: Good Omens

Rating: G

Warnings: None

Pairing: Ineffable Husbands/Aziracrow

Other Notes: In which Crowley and Aziraphale go incognito, and it isn't easy. Fluff. Just fluff. 533 words!

Aziraphale raised a hand to miracle his tea.

“Ahhh!” The yell of remonstrance made the angel jump. His hand jerked and bumped into the mug. The mug tipped over, and cold tea splashed itself all over the front of his trousers.

“Crowley!” Aziraphale cried, arising in distress as he shook tea from his hands and took in the state of his damp trousers, which were now sticking unpleasantly to his skin.

“You know what we decided, Angel,” the demon said, wagging a finger at Aziraphale as he turned back to the bookshelf beside his chair and continued reshelving, “We have to lay low, live as humans for a while til things calm down. Not attract attention.”

“Yes, but—” Aziraphale protested, lips pursed petulantly as he tried to come up with a good reason to keep protesting. 

“I never said it would be easy,” Crowley raised his eyebrows over his shoulder. But, upon catching sight of the angel’s pitiful expression and damp-cat aura, he relented. “Come on, Angel!” the demon said exuberantly, dropping his pile of books, “Get changed and let’s go have lunch, that’ll make you feel better.” 

Sufficiently mollified, Aziraphale stomped upstairs. Moments later he returned, dressed in an entirely different suit. Crowley, who had been leaning against the door, stopped twirling his keys around his finger.

“Why’ve you changed?”

“I couldn’t go like that.”

“But only your trousers were wet.”

“Crowley,” Aziraphale drew himself up and fixed the demon with a severe glare, “I could not possibly wear the same suit with different trousers.” Knowing better than to argue with the angel on matters of fashion, Crowley shrugged and held open the door. Aziraphale swept past him, and together they slid into the Bentley. Once it had purred to life, Crowley pulled the car away from the curb at an entirely reasonable speed. The Bentley revved in protest, but Crowley merely patted the dashboard.

“We all have to get in on the act,” he reminded the car, which immediately began to play a selection of bebop. One interminable drive later, they had arrived at the Ritz, though they had had to search between the cushions of the car to find sufficient funds to pay for parking. This barrier overcome, they passed through the familiar doors and were approached by the maître’d.

“Good afternoon sir, do you have a booking?” the impeccably dress host asked as Crowley swaggered over to him.

“Antony J. Crowley,” Crowley, who had of course never before bothered to book, merely ensured that his name was always on the list, said confidently. The maître’d consulted his tablet.

“Mmm, I’m afraid we don’t have a booking under that name, sir.” Crowley’s jaw went slack.

“What.”

“Yes, I’m terribly sorry but we are at capacity this afternoon, I’m afraid we will not be able to accommodate you without a booking.” With a slight bow, the maître’d slid sideways to greet the next couple who had come through behind them. Crowley, still frozen in shock, only turned his head when Aziraphale coughed lightly and rocked on the balls of his feet, unable to keep the smugness from his voice.

“Well, dear, you never said it was going to be easy.”

[lilareviewsbooks]

Books for Good Omens fans!

Are you emotionally scarred by the ending of season 2? Is the wait for season 3 going to be excruciating for you? Are you looking for something that’ll fill those voids? Look no further, Good Omens fan! I have some media for you to consume!

The Tea Dragon Series, starting with The Tea Dragon Society, by K. O’Neil

71 pages (first book)

Contains: tea magic!; a cute sapphic romance; queer rep all around :)

If you like Good Omens because of how fluffy it can be (though that season finale was not fluffy), I highly recommend this series! The Tea Dragon Society is a comic book trilogy following Greta, who is swept into the world of caring for tea dragons, tiny little creatures that grow tea leaves on their foreheads. 

As is the case with Good Omens, this trilogy includes a lot of queer representation. It’s written by a non-binary author, K. O’Neil, who introduces us to queer characters of all identities. Also much like Good Omens, there is no discussion of homophobia or transphobia. There’s also a sapphic romance between Greta and her love interest, which is very sweet! This is perfect if you need a pick-me-up after season 2, and if the fluffier aspects of Good Omens are your favorites!

The Greenhollow Duology, starting with a Silver In The Wood, by Emily Tesh

112 pages (first book)

Contains: the fae!!; enchanted woods; middle-aged gay people!!

If what brings you joy in Good Omens is it’s middle-aged leads, I give you Silver in the Wood, and its companion Drowned Country. These two stories are quite episodic – much like Crowley and Aziraphale’s little adventures – and feature a pair of middle-aged men who fall in love against the backdrop of supernatural things afoot.

Apart from representing the older portion of the queer community, The Greenhollow Duology is also brilliantly written and very atmospheric. It will place you inside the cottage where most of the action happens, and you will be able to feel the magic in the air. Both of the books are novellas, and so are quite short reads you can enjoy whenever!

A Series of Unfortunate Events, starting with The Bad Beginning, by Lemony Snicket

176 pages (first book)

Contains: adults that are incompetent; children that are very competent; quirky writing!

If your favorite aspect of Good Omens is its quirkiness, I give you: A Series of Unfortunate Events! This middle-grade series follows a trio of siblings as they are passed from distant relative to distant relative after their parents’ mysterious death, all the while being chased by the evil Count Olaf.

This series reminds me of Good Omens for its tongue-in-cheek humor. Mr. Snicket is a master at metatextual comedy, that is, making jokes about the text itself. I’ve always had a lot of fun reading his writing! A TV show adaptation of this series has been made, and it’s on Netflix, but I haven’t watched it all the way through and can’t speak to how good it is, but it’s worth a shot if you’re feeling like watching something! Though I have to warn you: no gay people here :( 

A Master of Djinn, by P. Djeli Clark

438 pages

Contains: alternate history; a steampunk Cairo; muslim rep!!

A Master of Djinn is for those among you who want to see gay people save the world. I give you: gay people saving the world. This one follows Agent Fatma of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities in an alternate, steampunk-y Cairo, where magic was brought to life by mage Al-Jahiz, many years ago. Fatma is faced with a mysterious murder and must join forces with her lover Siti to find out what happened – except it’s waaay more complicated than it seems…

I think this reminds me of Good Omens the most because there’s a very cool dynamic between Siti and Fatma. Much like Crowley and Aziraphale, they have opposing views on a lot of things, religion for instance, and must reconcile that with their love for one another. They’re also very much ride-or-die for each other, and go on many supernatural adventures together, just like our favorite couple in Good Omens! It also features elements of fantasy being woven into a “normal” world, in this case even affecting history as we know it, to build an alternate reality! 

But, be warned: there is discussion of homophobia and sexism in this book!

This is part of larger universe, namely the Dead Djinn Universe, which includes two other novellas. You can read them in this order, or choose to start with A Master of Djinn. The novel is self-contained and will explain everything you need to know!

The Mimicking of Known Successes, by Malka Older

169 pages

Contains: a murder mystery; a second chance romance; humans living on one of Jupiter’s moons!

Another one for gay people who just like a nice couple they can follow around as they unravel some intrigue, and who were desperately infatuated with “detective Aziraphale”: The Mimicking of Known Successes is a Sherlock Holmes-like story following Pleiti and Mossa, a couple of ex-girlfriends whose paths cross again when Mossa begins investigating a mysterious murder. This one takes place on a human colony in one of Jupiter’s moons, but, apart from that, is not very hard sci-fi. There’s not really any science-y bits that I can remember. Mostly, it’s just a murder mystery, but set in space!

It’s perfect for Good Omens fans who love following a couple with a long history. Not to mention, it also has an almost grumpy/sunshine dynamic that kinda reminds me of Crowley and Aziraphale. And since I know most of us Good Omens fans were once deep in the Sherlock trenches, I thought I’d add this one to cure your heart’s many, many wounds (oh, Steven Moffatt… One day, one day you will pay…)

This is not currently part of a series, but a second novella,  The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles, will be published in 2024.

That’s all I got, everyone! If you’d like some more books that, just like Good Omens, don’t delve into homophobia or transphobia, I have a whole list of books that fit the bill! :) 

[flyingwargle]

albedo steps off the elevator onto the balcony, lifting his head toward dihua marsh. children run around him, excited cheers infecting the air as their parents hurry to board the elevator after him, returning downwards on its path. he heads for the reception desk, identified as soon as he crosses the doorway.

verr goldet waves at him, surrounded by ledgers and papers. her feline companion is curled in a patch of sunlight by the corner of the floor, who purrs beneath albedo’s gentle strokes. he nods at her. “it’s been a while, miss goldet. have you been well?”

“yes, thank you! the daily life of an innkeeper has been relatively the same.” she gestures at her clutter with a roll of her eyes. “if you’re here to visit your sweetheart, i’m sorry to say that he hasn’t stopped by for a while. he’s investigating an unusual presence in the chasm.”

still? xiao told albedo about it over a week ago, which is why he scheduled his meeting with xingqiu today, hopeful that their paths would cross. the situation must be dire, if his prolonged absence means anything. “i see. if you don’t mind, i’d still like to take a look around upstairs.” he keeps his tone neutral, so not to betray his concern.

she nods. “of course, who am i to deny his sweetheart? the top floor is open to you, any time. oh, you might as well visit the kitchen for a plate of almond tofu, just in case xiao comes back. you’ll never know when that’ll be.”

he obliges, heading down to the basement and then to the top floor with a plate of almond tofu. there’s a stool in the corner of the balcony, hidden beneath the eaves, for the offering to wait through the night. albedo places it down and leans against the railing, body turned toward the chasm beyond the mountains.

archons, please protect him and bring him back safely. he conjures the image of a weathered gentleman with amber eyes, along with a bard clad in emerald and wind. the breeze stirs his hair, feels power surge through the earth that the inn was built upon. drawing in a breath, he turns his back, about to depart, until his eyes land on the closed door to xiao’s room. he steps toward it and opens the door.

the bed is pristine. the closet doors are closed. the desk has papers and a pen with ink dried on its tip, surely left from their last letter exchanged. a clothesline hangs above the window, where xiao has pinned albedo’s sketches, snapshots of dates, half-finished portraits, small doodles that encapsulate his daily life in mondstadt. the papers nearly obstruct the object on the windowsill, and it’s only upon closer inspection that he realizes what it is.

a potted cecilia basks in the afternoon light. the pristine petals are delicate between his fingers, soil damp. to his surprise, tiny sprouts are hidden in the flower’s shadow, signs of new life. he cannot believe that such a flower could survive in these conditions, especially with its owner absence.

unless…?

the yaksha commands anemo. he rests nightly at the inn. and it isn’t like he doesn’t know how to care for fauna, after spending so much time tending to albedo’s backyard garden. no, this has to be–

“surprised?”

albedo jumps. he whirls around, coming face to face with golden eyes that gleam with adoration. xiao steps closer to him, raises his hand to encapsulate his. albedo meets him halfway, fingers intertwining together. “hello,” xiao murmurs.

“hello. i thought you were still at the chasm?”

“i was, but when i came back, the cecilia was dying. i was trying to keep it alive.” he darts a nervous gaze at the flower. “is it doing okay?”

“yes. i can safely say that your care is exceptional.” albedo leans closer. “your care for me, on the other hand, is lacking. why didn’t you tell me that you came back early?”

“i didn’t want you to see the flower dying. i thought it’d…be a bad omen,” xiao mumbles.

“on the other hand, this simply shows your tenacity. these are far from ideal conditions for raising cecilias, yet you’ve cultivated it to the point where new life has grown. you’ve acquired quite a green thumb.”

the yaksha gives him a blank stare. “what does that…”

albedo chuckles, closing the gap between them for an embrace. xiao wraps his arms around him a moment later, head leaned against his. “welcome back, my love. i’m glad you’re safe.”

“thank you. will you tell me what that means?”

“i will, but let’s take it to the balcony. there’s a plate of almond tofu for you.”

they depart, and the cecilia dances in their wake, stirred by the wind.

[ironcladrhett]

(The War Between Brothers)

“And?! We were kids once, little brother. Nobody fuckin’ treated us with kindness, and we’re just fuckin’ humans. Not hurtin’ anyone that wasn’t ready to hurt us first.” He stepped close to Emilio now, getting in his face and jabbing his shoulder roughly with a finger. “You’re askin’ me to leave a monster alone. A beast that’ll only spread its malice out into the world, on unsuspectin’ folk what can’t even defend themselves. I don’t give a flyin’ fuck how old it is, you hear me?” He snarled through gritted teeth.

(Starry-eyed)

“What good will that do ya?” he asked, pacing in the darkness, eyes glinting malevolently with a grin the mare could not see. “Calm down… the lights ain’t gonna kill ya. Probably. Well, that’s what we’re here tah’find out, anyway.” Still he paced, heart beating at an elevated rate, the delight writhing its way up his spine. Nothin’ felt better than watchin’ them fuckers suffer. Nothin’.  “My, ain’t you pretty in the light…” he commented in a voice that sounded both saccharine and venomous at the same time.

(Good Omens)

“It wasn’t fair what he did. But he didn’t give you a choice. He wouldn’t have given you a choice either way, don’t you see that? It was always him or mom.” Ophelia stepped closer again, and Rhett flinched. “He was ruthless. Brutal. He tried to put it away for you, but he couldn’t. And he made you… just like him, didn’t he? When he died, you felt like you had to pick up his mantle?”  “Stop,” Rhett muttered, shifting his weight again and hissing in pain, slumping back against the tree as he’d been when they arrived. Ophelia moved closer, and he remained still.  “No, I won’t stop,” his daughter promised with tears in her eyes, her arm raising as a hand reached for him.  “S-stop, I don’t want—I can’t—” The girl’s hand found his shoulder and he had nowhere to go, helpless against her will as she circled her arms around his torso. He wanted to crawl out of his skin, the insect buzz and scratch of being this close to a fae almost overwhelming him, but there was no escape, so he tried to push it down. Bury it like he’d buried his brother. Bury it like he had the truth of his moralities all this time, overlaid by Desmond’s own. Just as he’d been adopted by that hunter community, so too had he adopted his brother’s code. He loved him fiercely, but Ophelia was right. 

(The Burden)

“Fuck’s sake,” Rhett snarled, shaking his head at the poor bastard of a ranger with fresh holes in his head. He turned on Emilio, jabbing an accusatory finger against his chest. “This is why ya don’t watch ‘em to see if they’re up to no good, little brother. This is why ya don’t spare ‘em. Ya fuckin’ kill ‘em when I god damn tell you to.” With an angry huff, he picked the sword back up and slipped it into its scabbard, then looked at Owen. “Forgive the idjit. He’s been havin’ a morality crisis fer a couple years now.” Maybe this would take care of that, he thought. Rather, he hoped. 

(Do It For Me)

Rhett hated being helped. He hated relying on other people. He was better than that, stronger than that. He was old as hell for a hunter, particularly with one so red a ledger as his own. He was a survivor, and he’d not gotten through it by cowering in fear, by hiding behind others. He hated it, but he was resigned to it for as long as Emilio felt was necessary. And what could he do? Abandon the only family he had left? He needed to, he knew that. He needed to get the fuck away from all of them as soon as possible, to keep his mistakes from bleeding into their lives too. But… he couldn’t. Physically, he couldn’t. He didn’t feel trapped, he was trapped. 

[kariachi]

Some nicer daemon au fic! Eva and Devin and introducing daemons, oh my!

~~

For the first time in decades, Devin wasn’t worried about introducing Jubilation. The feeling wasn’t entirely mutual, mind, Jubilation themself had some small doubts he could feel across their bond, but Devin didn’t. Yes, all the people they’d been introduced to before this had had, mixed reactions...

It had come as a surprise when they’d first left home and discovered that Separation not only wasn’t normal, but downright concerning for most species. There were plenty of places on Osmos V, in the Osmos System, conducive to the act, a difficult but known option, old religions that required it even, but for some reason most cultures they’d encountered viewed it as disconcerting at best. An ill omen at worst. All that before anybody even got to see Jubilation, their sheer size and large teeth. Even after decades Phil and Vita got antsy around them, like they thought they might turn around and eat somebody. This time though, this time was different.

Eva and Rufus didn’t get shaken up by anything. More often than not, they were the ones shaking up or shaking down other pairs. It was, to the confusion of their team, part of why Devin liked them enough to bring home. Why Jubilation was interested enough to agree to host them.

“That’ll be them,” Jubilation asked as the sound of an engine came down the road to their isolated little cove. A rocky thing, unpopular and distant enough to have been easily claimed, with a small series of dens dug into the surrounding cliff.

“Probably.” They certainly weren’t expecting any other company, and had gotten maybe four unexpected guests in the last eighteen years. Sure enough, the engine cut off around where the pavement truly ended. Jubilation tensed, trying to make themself smaller as Devin scratched soothingly at their jaw. “Relax, it’ll be fine.”

“You make them sound amazing,” they said in a low tone that did nothing to hide the undercurrent of ‘I want to make a good impression’, as if they could do anything else. They were perfect.

“And that’s why it’ll be fine.” Down the cliff and down the cliff came their company, Eva smiling, deep brown eyes bright as anything as she picked her way with easy grace, Rufus buzzing along the edge of their bond like a security drone. Devin’s heart kicked up a beat, Jubilation rumbling beside him enough that the water trembled around them. “We were beginning to think you weren’t coming!”

“Liar,” Rufus called, barely audible for the size of him.

“You know us better than that.” Eva’s expression widened into a grin at the sight of Devin before sliding over to focus on Jubilation. She didn’t even miss a beat. “Nice to finally meet you.” Devin could feel the tension drain off them.

“The same. He talks about you two incessantly,” they said, colorful fins partly flaring when Rufus laughed.

“I’m beginning to think that's his only setting,” he said, flitting up to the great serpent daemon’s face as soon as he was able, “mooning over his people.”

“I do not moon,” Devin said, grinning. Rufus was all but an iridescent burgundy speck against the blues of Jubilation’s scales, like a jewel beneath their eye, not even the size of their pupil.

“You moon,” Eva said, clapping a hand on his shoulder and pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. “Love you, you’re cute, but you couldn’t be subtle if lives depended on it.”

“Lucky they don’t then, huh,” he chuckled, gut doing a little flip at the love declaration. They knew, of course, but there was just something about being reminded he’d managed to properly catch them the attention of a pair so smart and capable. “So, introductions? Jubi, this is Eva and Rufus Jones.”

“I’ll admit,” they said with a pleased rumble, trying to focus on the bird daemon, “from Vita and Deana’s descriptions I expected you to be bigger.”

“Vita and Deana,” Rufus answered, perching on their brow with a ruffle of his feathers, “don’t want people to realize how big of cowards they are.” Eva and Devin snorted in time with each other.

“I’ve seen you both in action,” he said, “it’s not cowardice to be scared of you.” If anything it was common sense. Rufus may have weighed less than an ounce, but that beak could take out an eye and while he’d never seen the little daemon do it he knew him, Eva, and their grey morality well enough to know he would. Even Vita and Phil’s pride got toned down when he challenged them, not a care for her fangs, venom, or sheer size.

“It’s a bit cowardice,” Eva said, smirking. “Bit of cowardice, bit of stupid enough to keep pushing their luck.”

“Six of one, half dozen the other,” Rufus piped in, holding tight as Jubilation laughed.

“The failings of my team aside,” Devin continued, because they were more his team than Jubilation’s, given their aquatic restriction. “Eva, Rufus, my smarter half, Jubilation.”

“Making sure to set the bar low for me,” they teased, laughing again when he rapped on their scales with a grin. He should have known he'd be the only 'proper' outlet for their shared teasing humor when good impressions were to be made.

“The size is about what we expected,” Eva said to them, “but I think Devin undersold how pretty you are.” Jubilation rumbled again.

“You should see me in open water.” With a piping laugh to match Eva’s wide grin, Rufus flitted to resettle on their nose.

“Beautiful, if we could’ve gotten scuba gear on the back on the bike we already would be.” Making a curious noise in his throat as Jubilation flared at the obvious flirting, Devin turned a tilted head to Eva.

“Can you two scuba dive?” They'd never mentioned it, but then when would it come up? Certainly would make things a bit easier. She just grinned wider, stepping over to throw an arm around his waist.

“For them, we can learn.”